It is well known to provide coin and currency validation modules in currency activated machines such as snack vending machines, money changers, ticket purchase machines, gaming devices and the like. Once the inserted currency is validated, these machines transfer the currency to a storage compartment or cash box that is subsequently accessed by service personnel for retrieval of the currency. In many machines, the cash box is permanent and the currency is simply taken from it. In others, the cash box is in the form of a cassette such that service simply entails removing the cassette with its currency contents and replacing it with an empty one. These detachable cash boxes are easily interchanged such that an empty cash box replaces a full cash box to minimize machine downtime.
Currency validators with cash boxes have been developed to incorporate various desirable features. These features include a validation mechanism whereby if various criteria are tested and are not met, the mechanism returns the invalid currency to the user of the device. The detachable cassette cash box or storage compartments are constructed to be secure and tamper resistant from unauthorized personnel. Exemplary security features include locking devices in which two separate keys are required to open the storage compartment and a variety of latches and connections which are difficult to open by untrained personnel. These devices are also constructed to require minimum maintenance, while being rugged in design to withstand extensive use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,361 presents a bill handling apparatus with an exchangeable pusher for a stacker. In particular, this patent discloses a casing of a stacker provided with an opening and a chamber. A pusher, for pushing the currency into the chamber, is received within the casing and adjacent to the opening so that the pusher can be removably attached within the stacker. This allows the storage capacity of the compartment to be easily changed by inserting the desired stacker as required for the particular application of the bill handling apparatus. Additionally, the removable feature of the pusher from the stacker allows for an exchange of pushers if there are any malfunctions therewith.
Another type of currency validator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,131. This patent discloses a currency validation and storage arrangement which includes a currency validation and transport unit and a currency storage cassette which are slidably removable from a chassis. A cam driver actuating fork and interrupt arm are employed to push currency from a pre-stacking to a stacked position and to sense both a stacking operation and the removal or presence of the removable currency cassette. Moreover, this patent teaches the elimination of any electrical or electronic components in the removable currency cassette for purposes of sensing its presence or absence.
Although the above patents are effective in achieving their stated purposes, neither device is adaptable to receive various sizes and denominations of paper currency within the same cash receiving cassette. Nor do either of the devices provide a quick and reliably repeatable mechanism for performing such an operation. These and other devices do not provide a currency validator which adjusts the amount of movement or length of stroke of the mechanism used to stack the currency. Moreover, these devices do not provide a stacking mechanism with the above features that can be easily interchanged and which is secure and tamper resistant.
Based upon the foregoing, it is evident that there is a need for a currency validator with cassette cash box that can accept various sizes and denominations of paper currency. Furthermore, there is also a need for a currency validator with a stacking mechanism that is adjustable so as to accomodate the various sizes and denominations of paper currency.